Information disorder: A potted history of propaganda, hoaxes and satire

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Information disorder: A potted history of propaganda, hoaxes and satire

What links Mark Antony, in 44 BC, and the invention of the printing press in the mid 15th century to the disinformation crisis now facing journalism? A new resource from the International Centre For Journalists (ICFJ) offers a fascinating timeline of fraudulent and misleading campaigns and happenings that help give context to journalism's current communications ecology and challenges.

Authored by Julie Posetti and Alica Matthews, A short guide to the history of 'fake news' and disinformation, is designed as a learning module for both journalists and journalism educators, and of course, anyone trying to understand or explain the current threat facing open societies.

The downloadable module (available below) tracks the recorded history of ‘disinformation wars’ back to ancient Rome and plots the evolution of the current crisis on an international timeline, highlighting historic moments stretching from Cleopatra to Cambridge Analytica.

The guide also includes examples of good practice, suggested exercises, readings and assignments to help deepen understanding and aid nuanced reporting on ‘fake news.’ It is intended for use in news organizations, media development courses, and journalism schools. W

The guide is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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